LOCATION
On Norton Street, close to Parramatta Road. Buses run along Norton Street, or parking is available nearby. Braza Leichhardt restaurant is a yellow building besides a kebab shop at 13 Norton Street.
DETAILS
Braza is committed to bringing the true flavours of Brazil to Sydneysiders, using traditional ingredients and cooking methods including a Gaucho style charcoal barbecue. This is a terrifc venue for a group of friends, families, birthdays.
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
Smack-bang in the heart of Leichhardt’s “little Italy” is a buzzing Brazilian joint sure to get the belly rumbling. Groups large and small feast on plates piled high with scrumptious grillings, the sounds of a live guitar and djembe duo matched by the animated chatter of guests. The atmosphere here is electric. Barmen shake up cocktails in the bar as waiters usher around ginormous skewers loaded with grilled meats. Owner-chef Andre Felicio rotates the skewers over the charcoals, which fill the Brazilian steakhouse with lip-smacking aromas. Pull up a chair outside and watch the Norton Street action or find a spot inside the spacious yet cosy dining room.
Meat lovers will find solace in the Braza menu – it reads like a carnivore’s wishlist. The traditional churrasco is your best bet (available Tuesday to Sunday): an all-you-can-eat meat feast of beef rib, chicken wings, pork leg, lamb rump and much, much more, plus seafood and vegetable dishes and a multitude of sides. The grillings from the authentic Brazilian barbecue are carried through the restaurant and hailed down by guests. The express lunch churrasco offers a smaller selection of skewers for lunch-sized appetites, while the traditional dish of feijoada – prime cuts of beef and pork, slow-cooked over many hours – is available for the traditional Saturday lunch. And, if the belly can fit one more morsel in, you’ll find a very tempting list of Brazilian desserts waiting to be devoured.
Lauren Barker, May 2009
Churrasco - $42 pp
Special Churrasco - $65 pp